BJY has aroused significant awakening

The Challenge of 2024: Liberal People Can Play a Role

V.K. Tripathi

 

2024 Lok Sabha Elections are crucial. They can put a break on the dominance of polity of sectarian polarization and authoritarianism. The key lies in the political awakening and upheaval of the masses. The goal would be people-centric state and humanism-centric religion. Secular minded groups and individuals can play a pro-active role in it.

These are the first general elections after the bulldozing moves of the Center (e.g., demolition of statehood of J&K, Citizenship Amendment Act, Corporate-centric Agriculture Laws, unplanned lockdown) have severely changed the political landscape of the nation.

Parliament and Assemblies have lost their power to PMO. Corporate interests prevail upon polity and media. Institutions are devoid of integrity and spine. Titbits of relief and emotive issues have suppressed peoples’ souls.   

There are positive signs too. In 2019-20, we witnessed a countrywide nonviolent 100-day citizenship satyagraha by women against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that linked citizenship to religion. It forced the PM to put on hold countrywide NRC. In 2020-21 we witnessed year-long Farmers’ satyagraha against corporate centric agriculture laws The government was forced to withdraw the laws. Bharat Jodo Yatra has aroused significant awakening. We have to build on this experience.

We emphasize that the government runs on the hard work of the masses. Workers, farmers and artisans contribute more than half of their earnings to the treasury and the capitalists. The state has the obligation to orient the resources and wealth to provide work to all the working age population.

Our economy in 75 years of independence has reached a stage where our per capita GDP is Rs. 1.5 lakh per year. For a family of five this amounts to monthly income of Rs. 62,000. Farmers’ family income is 1/ 8 of it. So is of working classes. Kisan Samman Nidhi (Rs. 6000 per year) or 5 kg free ration per month pale into insignificance in comparison.

Even for such a meagre amount of Kisan Samman Nidhi, the number of beneficiaries has shrunk from 11.84 crore in February 2019 to 3.87 crore farmers in May 2022. By contrast, the wealth of the corporate elite has increased manifold. Adani Group, with the support of the government, reached on top, doubling its income in 2022.           

            People must also liberate themselves of prejudice so that they could see the draconian face of the nexus between the corporate and the state and focus on their own woes.

 

Woes of the Masses

(1)  Wrong Policies: Demonetization, GST, Discriminatory CAA, Corporate-centric Agriculture Laws, Demotion of J&K Assembly, Unplanned Lockdown, Shallow New Education Policy, skewed model of economic growth

(2)  Police and Cadre Raj: Suppression of dissent through UAPA, fake encounters and lynching, Suppression of farmers movement through police and criminal gangs, Police and criminals’ entry into campuses, Fearsome display of muscle power on religious festivals, bulldozer demolitions, insecurity of women, etc.

(3)  Ruination of Education: Appointment and Promotion of people connected to sectarian network, curbs on free thinking and scientific enquiry, privatization of education, closure of schools and colleges for two years even when lockdown was lifted and no plan to make up for the loss of classes,  temporary teachers,  closure of scholarships, incompetent education ministers,  meagre money for research (0.7% of GDP in India as against 2.1% in China and 3.4% in USA), utter lack of colleges in Delhi (even first division holders don’t get admissions), no support for training and placement, etc  

(4)  No Farmers’ Voice in Mandi: The government backed out from its assurance to form a joint committee on farmers’ demand of legal guarantee of MSP as recommended by the Swaminathan Committee, No initiative for building warehouses/ cold storages in villages

(5)  Poor Implementation of MNREGA, Dismal Job Scenario: MNREGA hardly provides 30% of employment it guarantees. The wages are far lower than the local wages and payments are delayed. Closure of many stone mines and forests have lost jobs. No promotion of farm-produces based cottage industry for job creation in villages. Poor job creation in organized sector. Diminishing job security and pension schemes.

Sachchi Baat Par Brahmins Ko Mulla Kaha Jayega ?

Emotive Issues

       Opening of Ram Temple in January 2024 may explode sectarian hysteria. The frenzied cadre will harass political opponents. Civil society groups can take the shocks on themselves. Our position would be, a monument built with imperialistic lust for power, hatred, and show of glamour can’t be a temple. The movement behind the shrine has dealt severe blows to democratic polity and degraded our soul.

            Kashi and Mathura shrines are next in line to carry forward the destructive campaign. We may assert that any place of worship is holy if it does not practice discrimination and promotes humility and dissolution of self. On this scale all big shrines stand unqualified as they did not allow the workers who built the temples to enter them and branded them untouchables for centuries.

They gained sanctity of a temple only when freedom movement led them to open their doors for all. The Mosques of Varanasi and Mathura and adjoining temples have been the places of prayer for weavers, artisans and workers for centuries and must be equally revered. What an irony, the ruling party is enjoying the reign, the power structure, built and evolved by Hindu, Muslim and British rulers with great comfort but instigating people to fight over inconsequential shrines.

            Border skirmishes, terror attacks, uniform civil code, NRC, and riots are other issues that have potential to derail sanity. We develop clarity on these issues.  

              We have to bring back humanism at the focus of religion, especially when calls for genocide are emanating from religious platforms. Three basic elements of humanism are: speak what you think, see without prejudice and live on honest earnings.   

 

Way Forward

We lay emphasis on power to elected bodies (Parliament, Assemblies and Panchayats) and a people-centric state, that strives to orient national resources to provide quality education and gainful employment to all.

State Assemblies have more autonomy, to frame their own policies and have control over their resources. Violation of this right is breach of federalism. Parliament must review such violations and promote rights of states.

Village panchayats be given many of the rights of tehsil. Their birth/ death register be given full recognition (to offset NRC need) Panchayats have a share in the income from the forests and mines around the village. Farmers have a say in Mandi and agriculture policy.

Academic institutions, law enforcement agencies and judiciary are sacred institutions. They must rid themselves of ideological and political biases and pressures. Corporate control curbs the vitality of media. Media must be free and autonomous.

Education must be made accessible to all, through inclusive admission policy and affordable tuition. It must develop freedom of thinking, creativity and skills for self-reliance. Colleges be free from pressures and social/ political biases. Teachers be regularized and treated with dignity.

We raise our gross higher education ratio from 26% to 50% Research funding be raised from 0.6% of GDP to 2.5% of GDP and flow to public/ private colleges alike.

Our labor force participation ratio must improve. Small business is a major employer and be given due attention.